a) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an improved instant game card and more particularly but not exclusively an instant bingo game card.
b) Brief Description of the Related Art
Known in the art is U.S. Pat. No. 5,074,566 (DESBIENS), which describes a two level scratch game. This scratch game consists of a substrate on which is printed a first grid of numbers, and which is covered by a scratchable rub-off coating hiding the numbers of the first grid. A second grid, identical in size and containing the very same numbers as the first one is printed on the rub-off coating. This scratch game requires a lot of rub-off coating to cover all the first grid, and requires printing of the playing numbers twice. Moreover, the first and second printings need to be perfectly synchronised to avoid any discrepancies between the visible and hidden grids.
Also known in the art is U.S. Pat. No. 5,193,815 (POLLARD) which describes an instant bingo game card comprising a substrate on which is printed one or more grids of numbers. Each grid is covered by a translucent coat of a scratchable material which is pigmented so as to modify the appearance of the underlying color of the substrate in the area where is printed the grid. This instant bingo game card requires a lot of scratchable material to cover the grids, and the contrast between the scratched and unscratched numbers is limited to the shade of the translucent coat.
Further known in the art is U.S. Pat. No. 4,212,468 (KNOTT) which describes a pressure sensitive game apparatus. This apparatus consists of a sheet of flexible translucent material having the symbol pattern corresponding to a bingo card overlying, and a substantially rigid backing member attached to the translucent sheet. The backing member is coated with a pigmented material and a pressure sensitive releasable adhesive material. Pressure on the translucent sheet urges it into contact with the adhesive material and causes the pigmentation to show through the translucent sheet. This apparatus requires several manipulations of the translucent sheet and the backing member. Moreover, when pressure is applied on the apparatus because of a bad movement, the pigmentation of the area pressed shows through the translucent sheet, causing an error.
Also known in the art are bingo game lottery tickets that have been offered for a while by the Iowa Lottery. The ticket includes a caller's card covered by a thick layer of a rub-off coating, and a plurality of playing cards. Beside each playing number of each playing card, a small dot is printed in red and covered by a small patch of rub-off coating. In use, the player scratches the rub-off coating covering the caller's card and scratches the patch of rub-off coating adjacent to each playing number corresponding to the uncovered numbers of the caller's card, so as to mark the same. The patch of rub-off coating provided beside each playing number is quite small and often difficult to scratch without scratching the surrounding patches.